


The Prince of Pleasure

by Fire_Bear



Series: Klance Month 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (but not between the main characters, (which is talked about a fair bit), Alliances, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bath Sex, Consent Issues, First Time, Hand Jobs, Klance Month 2018, M/M, Master/Slave, Minor Violence, Mutual Pining, Past Character Death, Political Intrigue, Politics, Princes & Princesses, Slavery, Threats of Violence, Trust, Week 3, and only briefly touched on cause of pacing issues), captive prince au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:50:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Betrayed by his half-brother, Keith is sent in chains to the prince of Altea. Unsure what to expect, Keith braces himself for the worst but is shocked by what he finds under the surface of the palace...





	1. The Prince

**Author's Note:**

> In this, Haggar is called Honerva because she had... no reason to change her name. And there's no magic. Or weird possessing corrupted alien ghost thingies.
> 
> Lance is almost 21 and Keith is 23. Because, I mean, it made sense.
> 
> Also, listen, I changed my mind several times on what I was gonna write for book week. I was gonna do Wicked till I realised how complicated that would be. This is still complicated but, eh. And if I'd allowed myself to do manga, I would definitely have dropped them all in a The Seven Princes of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth universe.
> 
> But, hey, with this, you get two parts.

He had been betrayed.

Keith snarled as he was thrown to the ground, the chains around his wrists clattering across the tiled floor. The slave garments he was wearing barely covered him and he glared at the guards who stood around him. There was no doubt in his mind that several of them were considering what it would be like to fuck a Galra. If they ever found out who he really was, they would probably queue to get their revenge.

When he had glared them into looking away, Keith took in his surroundings. He had been drugged on his journey from Daibazaal and hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing where he’d end up. Now, with his cheerful guards and the fancy decorations, Keith knew what his fate was. There were curving images carved into the walls and columns and most of it was covered in gold or silver or a shining blue. It was both beautiful and overwhelming to someone like Keith: the architecture in Daibazaal was more austere, and darker too. Here, it was as if they celebrated their wealth rather than their hard work.

Before he could start scowling at the guards or demanding to be let free, footsteps approached and he looked up. His eyes widened. Keith had presumed that he’d be given to some lowly lordling in order to cover up the treachery more fully. Instead, the Regent of Altea herself came stalking through the corridors.

Before this, Keith had met her only once. Her hair had been tied up in a loose bun, lovely brown hair slipping from its tie. She had had a sad smile on her face when he confronted her in the courtyard but she had distractedly kept him company for a few hours. Under her golden eyes had been pretty purple Altean marks. Now, though, she looked like an entirely different person. Her hair was loose and long and _white_ , bleached of any colour. Those purple marks that had so intrigued Keith as a child had been warped, the shade darker and extending down to her chin. There was no smile, only cold disinterest.

“Well?” she said to one of the guards, her voice rougher than he remembered.

“The slavers said this one’s a gift from King Lotor in the hopes of continuing the peace that Daibazaal and Altea still have,” one of them explained. Keith growled at that, outraged. ‘King’? Lotor shouldn’t have ever been called that.

“A gift, you say,” the Regent murmured, eyeing Keith.

“Yes. King Lotor suggested he be presented to the prince.”

Eyes flashing, the Regent’s mouth curled in apparent amusement. “Yes. That will do nicely. Take him to the prince’s quarters.”

And, just like that, Keith was hauled to his feet. Growling, Keith tugged against his chains, dug his heels in, punched a guard or two. He fought them every step of the way. If they were taking him to the person he thought they meant, then he had to get away. The prince would surely recognise him. They had been around each other for months at a time before. And there was the issue with the Crown Princess of Altea…

One of the guards backhanded him and he was dazed enough by the blow that they managed to drag him along a complicated route through the palace. At one point, they passed through a bare courtyard before reentering the ostentatious halls. Keith managed to shake off his dizziness in time to see a man wearing all white with a pink flower pinned to his breast. As usual, the Alteans’ habit of wearing clothes with a lot of laces baffled him, but not nearly as much as this man’s pursed lips and fussing did.

“The prince is busy,” he insisted.

“Then put him somewhere till he’s ready,” suggested the guard.

“I will not have this… _savage beast_ in my halls when the prince is unaware of him.”

“What savage beast?” said a voice from beyond one of the curtained doors. Keith’s heart stopped and he stilled, letting the other guard force his head down in a bow.

When he looked back up, a young man had stepped into the room. His brown hair was cut short and smooth: Keith remembered curls flopping in front of his face or covering his pointed ears. Bright blue eyes roved over the scene, taking everything in. Beneath them was a pair of blue marks. Shining, pale blue clothes covered his dark skin completely, the laces pulled tight on both his shirt and trousers. A golden circlet, more like a chain than a crown, was placed atop his head. Apart from that, the only jewels he wore were the bracelet with a pink gem on his left wrist and the similar gem which hung from his ear. In short, the man was beautiful, more so than Keith remembered. He was flanked by two guards but, even without them, he was clearly the one they were looking for.

“My prince!” exclaimed the man in white. He bowed and stepped back to show him the scene more clearly. “These men have brought you a gift. It’s come all the way from Daibazaal. King Lotor sends it with his compliments.”

The word ‘it’ registered with Keith and he growled, easily shaking off his captors’ hands to raise his head and glare at the man. Apparently, this terrified him for the man gasped and retreated, eyes wide. Perhaps Keith was looking particularly beastly, what with his purple skin and dark eyes, the fur on his large ears standing on end. He scoffed at him before turning his gaze on the prince, hoping he wouldn’t recognise him as the boy he’d once poked and prodded.

But Prince Lance barely reacted. He only blinked and looked at the man in white. “Why are we accepting gifts from _there_?” he demanded.

“Your aunt, the Regent,” said the man, oblivious to the way Lance’s eyes narrowed, “wishes to keep the peace between the two countries. She has accepted the gift on your behalf as a gesture of good will.”

“She also told them that you’d take good care of it,” added the guard before hitting Keith in the small of his back with the hilt of his sword. Keith snarled as he collapsed against the hard floor.

“Did she now?” murmured Lance, watching as Keith pushed himself up to his knees.

“Your Highness?” said the man in white, sounding worried.

Everyone watched as Lance stepped closer and squatted in front of Keith. Unable to stop himself, Keith glanced down, between his legs. Hurriedly, Keith dragged his gaze upwards to find Lance staring back, an eyebrow raised. He gulped and waited for Lance to order the guards to kill him, to hit him for ‘insolence’, to dismiss him and send him to some lowly lord as a punishment for Keith’s sins.

Instead, Lance said, “What is your name, slave?”

“Keith,” he answered, voice loud and defiant. If he was going to die or be forced into this slavery, he would do it fighting.

That seemed to annoy the man in white. “How dare you speak to the prince that way!” he cried, starting forward with his hand raised.

Lance shot to his feet. “And how dare you threaten to damage my property,” he said, tone a clear threat. The man in white turned as pale as his clothes but Lance ignored him, gazing down at Keith in a contemplative manner. “Have him prepared and sent to my room,” he ordered. “Make sure to remove those ridiculous chains - he’s not going anywhere. Then you can take yourself back to my aunt and tell her I want a new Master of my household.”

“Your Highness!” cried the man, clearly panicked. “ _Please_!”

“I can have the guards drag you away, as I did Colar,” Lance said, offhandedly.

That made the man freeze, wide-eyed. Then he hung his head. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good. I have business to attend to.” Lance paused and looked down at Keith. “I shall see you later, Slave Keith.” He said Keith’s name with contempt.

Once he’d swept away, the Master of the Household beckoned to the guards and they dragged Keith to his feet. He spared a glance for the curtain Lance had disappeared through with his own guards. Lance had changed a lot since Keith had last seen him. When he was a child, Lance had smiled and laughed and was very kind. He loved his aunt and clung to her at times but he also loved his father and sister. Maybe their loss had caused him such despair that he was incapable of that happiness.

Keith wished he hadn’t killed Allura.

They made their way through corridors covered in drapes and curtains. Once, they passed a pink one that was lopsided, falling off its rail. Keith glimpsed something behind it and, when he took a second look, he was surprised to see a portrait of King Alfor grinning back at him. The man in white clicked his fingers and a servant appeared out of nowhere to fix the curtain.

Eventually, they arrived at a room with a shallow bath. It reminded Keith of the slave baths in the Galran palace and his ears flattened. He began to struggle, growling at the guards. But Keith was weak from weeks at sea and the drug kept forcing on him. The knock to the head hadn’t helped and the guards merely laughed before throwing him into the water. Keith spluttered and flailed before he managed to sit up.

“So unseemly,” muttered the Master. As the guards retreated, he snapped his fingers and more servants materialised from the shadows. “He is to be the prince’s pet. Prepare him accordingly.”

Affronted, Keith rose to his feet. “I am no-one’s _pet_ ,” he protested.

The Master gestured and there was a splash from behind Keith. Before he could turn, a strong arm wrapped around him from behind. Alarmed, Keith tried to wrestle the man off him but he was too late. A cloth was slapped over his mouth and nose and his eyes widened as he instinctively gasped, inadvertently inhaling the sweet scent of a drug. It was quickly whipped away as an intense wave of fatigue swept over him. His knees buckled and he found himself in the water, having to use his arms to hold himself up, though he was wobbling from the effort.

“That drug is a relaxant,” the Master explained, smirking down at Keith when he managed to lift his head to glare. “You’ll be conscious so try to help where you can.” And, with that, he left Keith to the nameless servants.

* * *

Keith had to suffer the indignity of being stripped naked, scrubbed down, doused in a perfume which smelled of a forest, and, finally prepared. By that point, the relaxant was beginning to wear off and he struggled enough that the stronger man had to hold his head down to the floor. Meanwhile, the man with the thinnest fingers settled between his spread legs and stuck his fingers in Keith’s hole. It was an uncomfortable experience but, even so, Keith was half-hard by the time they were done - probably because, despite the situation, he had still been thinking of Lance being the one behind him.

Once done, they dragged him to his feet and rubbed him dry. They dressed him only in a short skirt, like the Galran chitons, only without a top part and far shorter than Keith had ever worn them. He felt as if he was exposed, his hole loose enough for anyone to mount him. His ears lay flat on his fluffy hair, watching everyone, baring his teeth when people dared to get close.

At that point, the Master returned. He looked Keith up and down with a critical eye. Keith growled at him and the Master shook his head. “He is presentable, at least. The prince will be pleased. And, should this brute get rowdy, he will have his guards on hand to execute him.” He beckoned for the guards and, once more, Keith was dragged through the palace.

This time, though, he was thrown into their destination and the doors shut on him. They were of an elegant design with gaps through which people could see him. Scowling, Keith got to his feet and looked around. He was in an ornate bedroom - Lance’s bedroom, he realised. The bed was huge and covered in pillows and blankets and silks. A massive wardrobe stood to one side. Opposite the bed was a massive dressing table with huge mirrors angled towards the delicate chair which sat before it. Beside the dressing table was a door: Keith presumed it was somewhere the prince could relieve himself in private. Floor to ceiling windows were covered by more curtains, though these ones were heavier and blocked the sunlight. The room was lit by a multitude of candles set into little alcoves in the walls.

Stepping up to the mirrors, Keith looked at himself. With his purple skin and fluffy ears, he looked almost _exotic_ as he stood in this fancy bedroom. Keith wondered if that appealed to Lance before scolding himself for it. This was no time to be daydreaming about being with Lance, as he had done since he was a child. It was far past time that Keith figured out a way to escape and return home.

Before he could so much as step towards the tall windows, the doors opened. He spun towards them, watching as Lance entered, flanked by two new guards. They were both around the same age as Lance and both of them had orange markings under their eyes. When they caught sight of Keith, the shorter one scowled.

“Your Highness, this is intolerable,” he snapped. “Those idiots left him here, _alone_. He could have done _anything_ -!”

“Calm down, James,” said Lance, rolling his eyes. “I doubt he’s had the time to poison what isn’t here or fashion a weapon from nothing.” He glanced at Keith, smirking. “The slave is mostly harmless.”

“Still…”

“If you want to take it up with the Regent’s guard, then go ahead. Just know that I won't be helping you this time.”

James clicked his tongue. “Fine. But what does Your Highness intend to do with him.”

“Oh, I’m going to use him as intended,” Lance said, nonchalantly.

Keith frowned. He would have believed that Lance had been corrupted irrevocably had he actually been looking at Keith. But Lance was only stealing glances and hadn’t once raked his gaze over him like James was doing now. Glaring back at James, Keith decided to speak up - he wasn’t mute, after all.

“I am not some _object_ to use as you will. I will not bow to you.”

That caught Lance’s attention. Those blue eyes pierced Keith as he gazed defiantly back at the prince. Suddenly, a confused look swept over Lance’s face before he smothered it with a smirk, eyes roving. “Well,” he said, “it seems I need to teach my pet a lesson. Leave us.”

“But, Your Highness-!”

“Now, James.”

“James is right, Your Highness,” said the taller guard, frowning down at him. This one was not just tall, he was bulky too and Keith supposed that he would be the real problem in any escape plans. “This one is dangerous and we shouldn't leave you alone with him.”

Lance sighed. “I can take care of myself. Trust me.”

“I still think we should wait here,” James insisted. “I know you want us to-”

“Oh, James,” said Lance, affecting shock. “I didn't realise you wanted to watch.” As James blinked in surprise, Lance stepped towards him and lifted a hand. Keith watched in fascination as Lance stroked James’s cheek which rapidly reddened. “Don't worry. If you _really_ want me to, I can fuck you later.”

Gasping, James shook his head and stepped back. “I, um, I’m sorry, sire,” James said. “I won't question your judgement.”

The bigger guard inclined his head. “James and I will be just along the corridor, Your Highness.” He put a hand on James’s elbow and steered the smaller man back out of the doors. They closed them behind them, trapping Keith with Lance and whatever he wanted to do to him.

Turning back to him, Lance raised an eyebrow. “Get on the bed, pet.”

“I am not your pet,” Keith protested.

“Do as you’re told. Or have you forgotten that a mere slave like you won’t be mourned.”

Threat clear, Keith narrowed his eyes but moved to the bed. Strangely, Lance seemed just as wary, watching him go. It felt to Keith like they were circling each other, like those in the arena would do before they engaged in battle. Without weapons and hole wide, Keith felt as though he was weak and defenseless. He had to remind himself that that wasn’t the case.

Once he’d reached the bed, Keith sat at the edge. The bed was so soft that Keith nearly fell back in surprise. How anyone was supposed to get out of their beds here was a mystery that Keith didn’t want to solve. Instead, he watched Lance stalk closer, his eyes locked on Keith. Carefully, Lance sat beside him, arranging himself so that he was close enough to touch Keith but far enough away that both of them would have to reach to do so.

“See? Was that so hard?” Lance asked, smirking at Keith again.

That expression was what made Keith throw caution to the wind. He lunged for Lance and he was briefly blessed with the surprise on Lance’s perfect face before he’d wrestled Lance around until his back was against Keith’s chest. Wrapping an arm around Lance, he let his hand rest over Lance’s heart, pressing against it so that he could feel Lance’s pounding heart. With his other hand, he encircled Lance’s neck, holding him with just enough pressure to suggest that Keith could choke him if he wished.

“Do you really think you’ll be safe alone with me?” Keith demanded. “There are so many ways I can kill you, little prince. So you will let me go, right now. I am not a slave.”

There was a sudden movement in the corner of Keith’s eye: a glint of metal. Before he could react, the tip of a blade was pressed against his throat. Keith froze and tried not to swallow. He failed and the blade drew blood as his throat worked. Lance turned his head enough to look at Keith over his shoulder, fury in his narrowed eyes.

“Do not presume I cannot defend myself,” Lance told him. “Besides, I don’t think you _want_ to kill me, do you, Prince Keetarlk?”

Keith’s breath caught and he let his grip on Lance slacken. That was all Lance needed to twist where he sat and shove Keith down. Lance followed him, knife still pressed to Keith’s neck and body pressed to Keith’s. Now, Lance’s hand was pressed to Keith’s bare chest; he could probably feel just how fast Keith’s heart was beating.

He wasn’t entirely sure it was only doing so out of fear and alarm.

“You… You knew?” Keith breathed, staring up at Lance.

Glaring at him, Lance scoffed. “How could I not recognise you, Keetarlk? I am not blind nor stupid.”

“You never were,” Keith confirmed, fighting back a smile. Now was definitely _not_ the time to reminisce about fond childhood memories.

“Besides,” Lance added, “whoever covered up your scar did a poor job of it.” And he lifted the hand holding the knife to reach across Keith’s face. Keith held his breath as Lance rubbed at where his face had been painted. The closeness of the knife had Keith remembering how he got the scar: Allura’s determined face, the swing of her sword, Keith dodging just a little too late, Shiro’s advice echoing in his ears… Allura’s blood splattering him as he dealt the killing blow.

“Would you have recognised me without the scar?” Keith murmured.

“Yes.” Lance shifted his dagger back to Keith’s throat. “I won’t forget the man who killed my sister.”

“I- Lance, I’m-”

“Shut up,” Lance snapped. “I don’t want empty words. I _want_ to know why you’re here. Is this some misguided attempt to assassinate me? Did you come to add me to the list of Alteans you’ve killed?”

Keith blinked at him, bemused. “I did not come here willingly. Lance, I came here in chains. Do you really think I would do something so… so… underhanded?”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “No. That’s not really your style. If anything, _I_ would be the one to do that.” Using the hand on Keith’s chest to brace himself, Lance dragged himself up Keith’s body to look into his eyes. “But Lotor is much more devious than me and I have no doubt he could come up with something like this.”

“If he is up to something, he hasn’t shared it with me,” Keith told him, scowling at the mention of his half-brother. He made sure not to look away. “He told people I’m dead. He has taken my throne. He _sent me here_.”

For a while, Lance merely looked at him, apparently assessing the truth of the statement. Finally, he moved the dagger away from Keith’s throat. “You stopped writing to me,” Lance commented, tone accusatory.

Frowning, Keith shook his head. “But… _you_ stopped writing to _me_. I…” He trailed off, unable to voice his childhood disappointment. As the Crown Prince of Daibazaal, his father had encouraged him to get along with the Altean royals. Since Keith was only a few years older than Lance, he had spent his time with the prince on their various visits. Keith had loved every minute of it, had wanted Lance to stay with him every time he had to leave and wanted to him to come back to Daibazaal on his own visits. When their letters had stopped, Keith had been devastated. Yet… Lance made it sound as if he hadn’t wanted to stop.

Understanding passed across Lance’s face before his eyes turned terribly sad. Keith wanted to touch his face and wipe away that expression. However, Lance still had a dagger and Keith couldn’t change the fact that he had killed Allura that day on the battlefield. So he stayed still, watching Lance as he pushed himself upright, though he moved no further; he was straddling Keith now, staring at a point above his head.

“I see,” murmured Lance with a sigh.

“You see what?” Keith asked, wondering if he should sit up, too.

The Altean prince opened his mouth to reply only to stop, his eyes flitting around the room as he thought. Concerned, Keith propped himself up on his elbows, wondering if he should speak. Finally, Lance’s lips pressed together. Frowning, he looked down at Keith and he could see the fury and despair that swirled in Lance’s eyes. “I see it all,” he said, voice almost a growl.

“What? What is it?”

Lance took a deep breath, his gaze trained on the bed sheets. “Either my aunt or your brother stopped us getting our letters. I was so upset that it rubbed off on my father. In some way, I think my displeasure made him somewhat stubborn in negotiations with Daibazaal. He may have thought King Zarkon was snubbing him or me or… something along those lines.” Lance paused and sighed. “And the same happened with you, right? You were… upset?” He glanced at Keith, almost coy.

“Yes…” said Keith, slowly. “Are… Are you saying that Honerva or Lotor _planned_ the friction between our countries?”

“The friction was already there,” Lance reminded him. “They just gave a little push in the direction of war rather than union.”

“Wh… Why would they do that?” Keith exclaimed.

“Oh, Keetarlk,” said Lance, rolling his eyes. “Why in the world do you think?”

Keith’s eyes widened. “They… All for our thrones?”

“Mm. Though, Aunt Honerva wants both of them.”

“What? How will she do that?”

“Come on, Keetarlk. You’re here, aren’t you? Lotor could have killed you but he sent you here.” Lance reached out and placed a hand on Keith’s chest, directly over his thumping heart. “He should have killed you. But you’re here. Honerva probably told him to send you here so she can use you to snatch my throne. She’s already in the right place for it - she’s been ruling for years in my name. There’s only a few more months before I can claim it from her.”

“You… think they’re working together?” Keith asked, ignoring the strange way his heart seemed to sink. He had forgotten that, for all intents and purposes, Lance was almost a king. Yet, Keith was very much still a prince. Or not one at all...

Lance nodded. “And that is why I haven’t told anyone who you are yet.” His hand moved and, once again, he was touching Keith’s face, rubbing at his scar.

Thoughts of the future were swept away by the shame of Keith’s past. “Lance. I… I am so sorry,” he whispered. “About-”

“Stop,” said Lance, raising his hand to emphasise what he’d said. “I don’t want-”

“Please, Lance. I’m sorry.”

Releasing his breath in a huff, Lance hung his head. “I know,” he replied, equally as quiet. “I know you didn’t want to.”

“I wish things had been different.”

“I don’t blame you at all,” Lance said and it was such a surprise that Keith startled, almost knocking Lance from his lap as he jerked.

“What? How can you not?”

For a moment, Lance merely surveyed him. Then, finally, he seemed to come to a decision. Without warning, he let himself drop onto Keith, laying completely on top of him. Keith’s elbows gave out and they were soon lying on the bed, Keith’s legs hanging off the end, Lance heavy on top of him. Lance sighed, his breath fanning out across Keith’s collarbone.

“There was something strange that day,” Lance told him. He sounded tired and sad and frightened. With his slim body and the fact that Keith was broader than him, Lance seemed small. “Father didn’t seem himself and Allura…” Lance shifted till he had his forehead pressed against Keith’s shoulder. “I’d never heard her talking of revenge but… She said that was why she was going to fight you.” The younger prince took a shaky breath. “It hurt. To see you both fighting.”

Keith wanted to hug him, a feeling he didn’t often have with people. He swallowed. His hand lifted off the bed. Then his mouth opened and he let his hand drop. “But I still dealt the killing blow.”

That, unfortunately, made Lance push himself back to a sitting position, his eyes shining from unshed tears. He frowned at Keith. “Were you really trying?” he asked.

Looking away, Keith found himself staring at Lance’s legs. The way they looked, on either side of him, was… pleasant. He forced himself to concentrate. “I…” When he glanced up at Lance, he found Lance staring at him intently. He had been about to lie but, now, he couldn’t. “I thought that a severe injury would stop the fight and that she’d survive. But she stumbled and- I…”

“Yes…” Lance lifted his gaze to stare off into the distance. “I thought something was strange, even from where I watched…”

“Lance,” said Keith, his hand twitching with the need to touch him.

Suddenly, Lance moved, clambering off Keith entirely. Briefly, Keith wondered if Lance would tell him to roll over, to present himself, if Lance would fuck him like everyone seemed to think he would do. Keith found himself wanting that: he deserved some sort of punishment for what he’d done. Not that Lance fucking him would be unpleasant or even a hardship, though the status of ‘slave’ was a humiliation. But Lance backed off completely. He paced for a while as Keith watched, propped up on his elbows once more.

Finally, Lance turned back to him, eyes bright and intense. “I don’t know whether I should trust you,” he warned Keith. “But… I need your help.”

Frowning, Keith pushed himself up into a sitting position. “You need _my_ help?” he asked, incredulous.

“Shush, not so loud!” Lance hissed. “I…” He paused to sigh heavily. For an instant, Lance looked tired, beaten, at his wits’ end. Keith wanted to go to him and his ears twitched - he had to will them not to flatten in sympathy in case Lance noticed and took offence. “Listen,” Lance said. “I know that Honerva wants to kill me or discredit me. She’ll be able to take the throne in either of those scenarios. I know, though, that she wants to use you to get to me or to prove how ‘irresponsible’ I am.”

“How would she do that?”

“There are various ways,” Lance said, dismissively. “But the main one will be revealing who you are after I’ve taken you to bed.” He scoffed. “Imagine the despair I would fall into once I found out that I had bedded my sister’s killer,” he continued in a tone of mock alarm. “Or he had bedded me. Why, it will even be a miracle that I don’t do myself a fatal injury.”

“That’s…”

“Yeah. The other way would be to discredit me if I release you or treat you like a person rather than a mere slave. We may not be at war but many Alteans still… _dislike_ Galra. Allura…” Lance paused to take a breath, looking away. “Allura was well loved and the country mourned her passing for far longer than any other royal. If they think I _like_ the Galra in any way, they will turn on me. More so if they find out who you are.”

“So, how can we stop that from happening?” Keith asked, brow furrowed.

It was an instant change. One moment, Lance looked downtrodden; the next, he was smirking as he stalked towards him. With a long, thin finger, Lance tipped Keith’s chin up. Somehow, that made Keith feel vulnerable and a thrill ran through him. “You need to act as my pet, Your Majesty,” he said, the title his own acknowledgement of where Keith should be. Keith flushed as another jolt of pleasure ran through him.

“I… What? No,” said Keith, a little breathless.

Lance’s smirk widened and he climbed onto Keith’s lap. “You don’t _actually_ have to bend over for me, Keetarlk.” His proper name on Lance’s lips when he was so close had Keith’s cock stirring. He hoped Lance wouldn’t notice and he didn’t seem to, didn’t jerk away or encourage him. “In private, you can stay far, far away from me. However, there is the matter of what pets do in public. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. They have slaves in Daibazaal, too, don’t they? But I am not one for doing… _things_ in public. There will be certain touches I will allow and people know the extent I am willing to allow things to continue to so we must adhere to their expectations.”

Keith licked his lips. “What are those?” he asked in a whisper.

Again, Lance’s reply was to smirk, his fingers running along Keith’s jaw. “You’ll figure it out. You’re not stupid, Keetarlk. But… it will be suspicious if it looks as though I broke you in on a single night. So you may fight me to begin with. Some courtiers will even sympathise with me if you are… difficult.”

“So you want me to play the part?” Keith said, his eyes fluttering as Lance’s fingers continued their path down his neck. They stopped at his rapid pulse point, pressing there for a moment before withdrawing completely. When he opened his eyes, Lance looked apologetic. The expression was quickly wiped away to become a smirk.

“Yes. That is all you are good for, at the moment,” Lance told him. “Now, you must be exhausted after your trip. Relax. Rest.”

Blinking, Keith watched in surprise as Lance clambered off him again and began to make his way to the doors. “Where are you going?” he asked, perplexed.

“I have things to do,” Lance said over his shoulder. “Lie down. Go to sleep.”

The Altean flashed him a private smile before he slipped through the doors. Keith frowned after him, confused and uneasy. He let himself fall back onto the bed, wondering at Lance’s behaviour: it was almost as if he was trying to keep up several personas at once. How long had he been forced to do so? Keith wished he could have saved him from such a life, wished he could have smuggled him back to Daibazaal where he could have taken care of Lance himself.

Imagining how different his life could have been, Keith slowly descended into a fitful sleep.


	2. The Pleasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I remembered to mention this but it's been a few weeks since the first chapter. I just wanted to do two scenes so we're jumping.

Keith didn’t know why the guards had brought him here. This was the royal baths, the place where Lance would bathe, not somewhere a mere slave was allowed to come without a master. For all the weeks he’d been here, he’d been forced to wash in the little bathroom attached to Lance’s room or in the slave bath when the new Master of the Household decided he needed to be prepared for the ring. The latter had happened only once or twice and Lance had seethed when he discovered the Master was responsible for it.

So, Keith was very confused. Wary, too. Lance couldn’t control everyone all the time. Maybe someone had gained the confidence to take what was ostensibly Lance’s. Or one of the guards had too much pent-up anger and wanted to fight him somewhere they wouldn’t be seen. But, the longer he found himself alone, the more he began to doubt his assumptions.

Eventually, the doors opened behind him. Keith spun around to find Lance sweeping in, the doors closing behind him. He blinked at Lance who ignored him in favour of looking over his shoulder. James and the other one - Kinkade, Keith had heard people call him - were watching them, eyes darting between them. Lance tilted his head and they turned away, moving away from the door. Once they were a satisfactory distance away, Lance turned back to Keith and immediately slumped.

Startled, Keith rushed towards him, ready to catch him if he fell. “Lance?” he asked, concerned. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Yes, I-” Lance paused, his eyes trained on Keith’s arms as he reached for him. Keith blinked. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Lance murmured, his eyes flicking up to Keith’s for a moment.

“You want a bath, though?” Keith questioned. When Lance nodded, he frowned at him, still bewildered. “Then why am I here?”

Lance finally looked up at him, though he did so through his lashes. They were long and pretty and fluttered in such an enticing way that Keith’s breath caught. “To serve me,” Lance said, simply.

With the coy way he was speaking, Keith almost did exactly as he was told. At the last moment, however, he remembered himself and the fact that they were alone. “I thought you said that I didn’t need to act as your pet in private,” Keith pointed out.

Sighing, Lance rolled his eyes. “I was joking,” he said. “But I _do_ need your help to undress me. I am tired.” Indeed, even as Keith watched, he seemed to droop again.

“Then, allow me,” Keith said and, finally, he let himself touch Lance. His fingers brushed along the back of Lance’s hand till they nudged against his laced sleeve. Lance shivered under his touch but Keith resisted the urge to look at him. The last time he had touched him and Lance had reacted like that, he’d pushed Keith away when Keith had dared to acknowledge it, kept him at arm’s length. So Keith ignored his instincts for the moment and gently, carefully began to undo the multitude of laces. He worked his way up Lance’s arm and, when he reached Lance’s elbow, he chanced a glance up at him. Lance’s eyes were fixed on him, half-lidded as he watched. It made a thrill run through Keith, hot and intense.

He moved onto the other sleeve and opened it up at the same pace. There was silence as he worked. Only the whispering sound of the laces reached Keith’s ears. Lance seemed to be controlling his breathing, his breaths quiet and far too even to be natural. Keith ignored them as best he could as he finished with the other arm and sank onto his knees to unlace his trousers. He made sure to kneel right in front of Lance instead of to the side, hoping he would understand what he was insinuating. The way Lance’s breath shook as he inhaled suggested he understood only too well.

Finally, Keith was finished and he stood again. When he reached out to help Lance take the garments off, though, Lance stepped back and out of reach. He made his way to the edge of the bath. Once there, he looked over his shoulder at Keith. Admiring Lance’s elegant profile, his pointed ears and pretty marks, Keith almost missed Lance speaking.

“I want you to wash me, too,” he said, smile coy and eyes bright.

Keith didn’t respond. He couldn’t, not when Lance gripped the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. This was the first time that Keith had seen Lance undressing since he had reached Altea. Holding his breath, he watched as Lance’s back appeared. There were muscles Keith hadn’t been aware Lance had. Then again, with his proficiency in archery, Keith supposed he should have expected it. But, somehow, he hadn’t and it took his breath away. When Lance turned slightly to drop his shirt behind him, he smirked at Keith.

“Um,” said Keith when he could breathe again. He didn’t get any further as Lance’s thumbs hooked into his trousers.

Stopping himself, Lance turned fully, showing off the smooth skin of his chest. There were more muscles, of course, and Keith stared at them, unable to take his eyes from Lance. His own muscles were certainly bigger and he’d seen Shiro’s and Lotor’s. But Lance seemed smoother and Keith could see exactly where he could place his hands to hold Lance close, an exciting notion for Keith who very much wanted to do that.

“Hm?” said Lance, his smirk dancing across his lips.

“I… You want me to… wash you?” Keith asked, voice distant.

“Yes,” Lance replied. “I’m very tired.”

“Oh. Right.”

Chuckling, Lance pushed at his trousers. Keith took a deep breath, steeling himself. Lance seemed to notice as he slowed, bending his knees so he could curl over himself as he slid the trousers over his hips and down his legs to the floor. He straightened and delicately stepped out of them. Heart hammering now, Keith stared at Lance’s legs and his soft cock, long and thin and hanging between his legs. As Keith stared, he was sure he saw it twitch.

Lance turned then and, with his hips swaying, he stepped down the stairs into the deep bath. Keith watched him go, unable to move, his breathing laboured. His own dick, he knew, was already half-hard, just from seeing him. Swallowing, Keith made his way forward, watching Lance descend until he sat on the ledge inside the bath. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering at this beautiful Altean prince and the dangerous games he played in his own court. Then, decision made, Keith tugged at the poor excuse for clothes he was wearing and let it fall to the floor. He heard Lance gasp as his cock was suddenly freed; Lance’s eyes darted to it and he continued to stare as Keith stepped in.

“Is it really washing you want me to do?” Keith asked as he waded his way through the waist deep water. He made his way to the ledge and sat beside Lance, the perfumed water just covering both of them from the waist down.

His words seemed to startle Lance from his reverie. Quickly, Lance slid around until his back was to Keith. “Yes,” he said, firmly.

Something about the way he said it suggested to Keith that he’d suddenly changed his mind. Keith didn’t know what to make of it so he grabbed the soap that sat beside them. Dunking it in the water, he lathered it up so his hands were covered in something which smelled of Altean juniberries. Now he knew why Lance always smelled so sweet and delicious. Looking down at his hands, Keith wondered if others had been in his position. Biting back a growl and a rush of possessiveness, Keith reached out and carefully placed his hands on Lance’s back. They both stilled at the touch: Keith marvelled at how warm and familiar Lance felt; Lance seemed to tense, holding his breath.

Wanting him to relax, Keith kept his touch light and fleeting, spreading the soap across Lance’s beautiful body. Lance gasped as Keith’s hands made their way downwards. In his mind’s eye, Keith could see Lance tugging James or Kinkade into the bath, making them wash him, saw them fucking him when they couldn’t stand it any longer. Growling low in his throat, Keith pressed against Lance more firmly, his hands massaging at him roughly. It made Lance bend forward and Keith’s fantasies seemed about to play out. His growl grew louder.

“I know that Galra like to act like animals,” Lance said, voice quiet, “but I didn’t think _you_ would…”

Keith cut off his noises, his ears flattening in contrition. He let Lance sit back up but he continued washing his back. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m just imagining you in here with other people…”

Lance turned his head so that Keith could see his arched eyebrow. His mouth twitched as if he was amused and trying to hide it. Keith frowned at him. “I’ve never let anyone in the bath with me,” Lance told him, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

That made Keith still, his hands on Lance’s shoulders. “I… am the only one?” he asked.

Nodding, Lance searched Keith’s expression. Then he turned away again. “There is more to wash than just my back,” he murmured, almost too quiet for Keith to hear him.

Thinking, Keith slowly washed along Lance’s upper arms, massaging at his biceps. He was the only one Lance was letting do this? Could that mean…? Did that mean that Lance trusted him? Or did it mean that Lance was attracted to him, that he _wanted_ Keith just as much as Keith wanted Lance? Then again, perhaps this was another of Lance’s strategies to win against his aunt. Something had certainly been happening over the last few days. Lance had been coming and going more often and been absent from his own bedroom at nights when Keith laid his head down to sleep. Come morning, he was already awake and reading letters and missives. Keith wondered if Lance would tell him what was going on tonight.

He hoped, however, that it meant that Lance wanted him. For years, Keith had wanted Lance, even when he’d never gotten the letters. His father and household servants always brought him pliant slaves that looked a lot like Lance. Despite feeling disappointed that they just weren’t him, Keith had taken them to bed, had imagined what it would be like when they could be together again. Then he’d killed Allura and he thought he’d never see Lance again. He’d tried to fill that space with other slaves. Now, he wished he hadn’t.

Yet, he knew what he wanted to do with Lance and he was determined to see it happen at least once, if Lance was willing.

Keith shifted closer and watched Lance tense. With gentle strokes to his back and sides, Keith continued to wash him, waiting until the prince was more relaxed. Then, without warning him in case Lance pushed him away, Keith wrapped his arms around Lance. He let his hands rub against Lance’s stomach and over one of his nipples. Lance gasped and moved: it was as if he wanted to arch into the touch and wanted to relax into Keith’s chest, but couldn’t decide which he wanted more.

“Little prince,” Keith murmured into Lance’s ear. “Let me.”

A shuddering breath escaped Lance. “Let you do what?” he whispered.

“You know what, Lance,” Keith replied. His head fell forward to nuzzle against Lance’s. Then, daring, he let his teeth sink into the tip of Lance’s ear. Lance cried out and his back bowed, his shoulders pushing against Keith’s chest while his lower body moved forward with an aborted, sharp motion. “It’s what you want, isn’t it?” Keith mumbled around Lance’s ear, his tongue lapping against it.

Hands grasped his arms and, for a moment, Keith thought Lance would throw him off. But Lance stopped, his grip on Keith tightening for a moment. With a gasp that echoed, Lance finally tilted his head to the side. Keith made a pleased noise and quickly kissed Lance there before digging in his teeth to superficially mark him. He wouldn’t mark him properly until he was sure that was what Lance wanted. In the meantime, this temporary mark would no doubt be covered by one of the high-collared shirts he’d seen Lance wear.

He sucked hard on Lance’s neck when he remembered how beautiful and unobtainable Lance had looked that day.

Lance pressed back against him and it was only then that Keith realised how hard he was now. Before he could apologise or back away, Lance ground back against him, running his ass the length of Keith’s cock. That made Keith gasp against Lance’s neck. He was quick to recover and pressed hard kisses against it. “Lance,” he breathed, revelling in how he was allowed to have this.

“Fuck me,” Lance ordered, sounding a little hoarse. “Fuck me, Keetarlk.” The name sent shivers down Keith’s spine: lately, Lance had only been calling him ‘slave’ or nothing at all. Keith yearned for him to call him ‘Keith’ as he once had but even just ‘Keetarlk’ was enough to get Keith rutting up against him.

“Yes,” he gasped.

Keith let the hand on his stomach slide lower until he was dipping his hand under the water. Propping his chin on Lance’s shoulder, Keith watched the soap dissolve into the water, obscuring his vision. But he didn’t need his sight to run his hand down, through Lance’s pubic hair until he reached the base of Lance’s cock. He smirked as Lance shuddered against him. Lance’s hands tightened on Keith’s arms.

“Kee-” Lance managed, squirming from the touch.

“You’re already half-hard,” Keith commented.

“Well,” said Lance, sounding flustered, “I… This is-”

“I want you hard,” Keith interrupted him. He didn’t let Lance react before he wrapped his hand around Lance. The prince whimpered and bucked up into it. “You’re rather sensitive, little prince,” Keith murmured as he ran just his thumb up and down the part of Lance’s cock he didn’t have covered.

“Th-That- I…” Lance pressed back against Keith. His hand fell from Keith’s free hand and landed on the edge of the bath where Lance gripped it tightly. “This is the-the first time someone has touched” - he broke off to take in a shuddering breath - “m-me.”

Keith stopped, blinking at what he could see of Lance’s face. His cheek was flushed, the tip of his ear a deep red. Those pretty blue marks stood out in sharp relief and Keith wanted to lick them. He resisted for the moment in favour of speaking. “What?” he asked, confused. “But… you have had plenty of opportunities…”

“I… I didn’t want to give Honerva something to hold over me,” Lance muttered. “But… Now…”

“You want me?” Keith suggested, rubbing his thumb over Lance’s tip.

“Yes!” Lance hissed, thrusting up into Keith’s hand.

“So you want me more than you fear what your aunt will do when she finds out?”

It took a while for Lance to respond. Keith put it down to the fact that he hadn’t bothered to stop teasing the tip of Lance’s cock, switching between rubbing back and forth or making swirling patterns. Eventually, Lance said, “Yes.” He sounded a little strained and Keith smiled in satisfaction.

“Well, I better make this good, hm?” said Keith, quietly.

Lance didn’t answer but Keith didn’t need him to. Without waiting for him, Keith began to stroke him. He started slow and made sure his fingers were a little loose. Every few strokes, he would wipe his thumb across Lance’s tip and the prince would gasp, clearly enjoying himself. Once Lance had mostly relaxed, evidently relishing in the touches, his head flung back on Keith’s shoulder, Keith change the way he held Lance. His grip tightened and he alternated between swiping at Lance’s pre-cum and twisting his hand slightly. Nipping at Lance’s ear again, Keith whispered into his ear.

“This is the way I touch myself when I think of you.”

Gasping, Lance tossed his head, his hips rising from the ledge. The hand on the edge of the bath scrabbled at the tiles. “You… When did you get the time?” Lance demanded.

“All those years waiting for you,” Keith murmured. “I thought of you often, even if I often couldn’t remember everything about you.”

“Kee-Keetarlk,” Lance gasped. His free hand suddenly came up and buried itself in Keith’s messy hair. When Keith twisted his hand again, he felt pinpricks of pain as Lance pulled on his hair. Keith could only moan at that, his hips bucking up against Lance’s perfect ass.

“Did you not think of me?” Keith asked, his voice low.

“N-No,” Lance admitted, grinding back against Keith again. The feel of something rubbing against him made Keith gasp. He buried his face in Lance’s exposed neck, speeding up his strokes. “I… I didn’t- I wanted… Too many things happened.”

Keith hummed in acknowledgement. He wanted to apologise again but, if he brought up Allura again, Lance was sure to stop what was happening. There was no way Keith could survive that rejection, not when he was stuck in this horrible palace with its evil councillors and the tyrant Regent. So he pressed an apologetic kiss to Lance’s shoulder.

“Did you really never think of me?” he asked.

“Once or twice,” Lance said as he bucked his hips up into Keith’s hand, chasing the friction. Keith smiled into his shoulder, enjoying the weight of Lance in his hand. “Not-Not quite like this…”

“Oh?”

Lance clicked his tongue. “Are you going to fuck me or not, Keetarlk? Or is this your idea of what I want?”

“I want to savour this,” Keith told him. _In case I don’t get this chance again._ Ignoring the pang in his chest, Keith began to move his other hand, rubbing at the soap covering Lance’s chest. His fingers caught on a nipple and he began to tease it, rubbing and tugging and rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. Lance whimpered at the sensation. “Besides,” he added, trying to act as if Lance’s reactions weren’t getting to him, “I need prepare you.” Keith glanced down at his slick hands. “But not with soap.”

“Use your eyes, Keetarlk,” Lance told him. Before Keith could ask what he meant, Lance shifted and dug his heels into the ledge. Keeping a firm grip on Lance’s cock, Keith watched as Lance pushed himself up. His back bowed like the multiple bows Lance could utilise at any given moment, the ones that had given him such lovely muscles. Neck exposed, lips parted on a grunt, Lance reached back with a hand. He grabbed one of the bottles from beside Keith before settling down.

“What-?” Keith said, perplexed and breathing heavy from the display.

“Oil,” Lance explained and handed the bottle back to him.

Eyebrow raised, Keith removed the hand from Lance’s chest while he continued his ministrations to Lance’s cock. Once he’d dunked the hand in water, he dipped his fingers in the wide-necked bottle and marvelled that Lance had thought to request something so perfect for sex. It smelled like juniberries and Keith wondered what it was originally meant for. Instead of asking, though, he took the bottle.

“You need to get up,” he told Lance, releasing his dick. “Kneel on the ledge and bend over the side of the bath.”

“Wha-? I-”

“Come now, little prince,” Keith said into Lance’s ear. He could see Lance shudder, evidently hoping for Keith to bite him again. “The water will make it more difficult to use this _useful_ oil. If you show off that pretty body of yours, I’ll be able to get in you faster.”

“Gods, Kee-Keetarlk,” Lance breathed.

“Do you need help?”

Lance laughed. “You really have been thinking about this a lot, hm?” he said as he shifted around till he’d got his legs under him. “After all, you sound rather desperate.”

Keith took in Lance’s flushed face, his red ears, the soap covering him… He looked lewd, even more so when he did as he was told and pushed himself up until he was kneeling above Keith. His cock was hard and sticking straight up, bobbing as he moved. It was dark from how hard he was, water dripping from it. Beneath them, his balls looked heavy and ready for release.

Groaning, Keith reached out to grip Lance’s hip. “I may sound desperate but you look…” Keith wanted to say so many things to finish that sentence. But it was beyond him to describe how amazing Lance looked. To Keith, he looked otherworldly.

“Hm.” Lance looked down at him, lips curved in a lazy smirk. “Well, I’m ready Keetarlk. Let’s see how good you are at this.”

Blinking up at him, Keith took a moment to come back to himself. When he did, he scoffed.”No, you’re not,” he said. And he surged upwards, pushing at Lance until he was pressed against the side of the bath and bent over, ass in the air and at the perfect position for Keith. He heard Lance cry out in surprise but he ignored it in favour of squeezing at one of Lance’s cheeks. That drew a surprised noise from Lance but Keith barely registered it as he revealed Lance’s tight hole.

Heart hammering, Keith scooped out more of the oil and warmed it between his fingers. Once he felt like it was ready, he reached out and slid his finger across Lance’s hole. Lance immediately tensed, gasping at the touch. Guilt tugged at Keith and he leaned down to press kisses along Lance’s waist. He bit small marks into his hips until Lance moaned and shifted, rubbing himself against the edge of the bath. Satisfied that he was relaxed enough, Keith rubbed against Lance’s hole again. Again, Lance tensed but he was far quicker to let it ease away.

Finally, Keith let his forefinger slip into Lance, his hole tight and fluttering around him as he slowly inched his way in. Gasping and keening, Lance shifted, his hands scrabbling at the tiles. Keith ignored him, concentrating on pushing in. Lance felt so tight and hot as he clenched and unclenched around his finger. A little concerned, Keith began to murmur reassurances that he was only half paying attention to. Eventually, his finger was all the way in to the knuckle and he paused, letting Lance adjust to it. He wondered how long he would last when he finally got his cock inside Lance but he pushed that thought away, frowning down at his throbbing cock.

“Come on,” Keith heard Lance mutter and he laughed.

“I would almost think that you were begging for it,” he pointed out, moving his finger as he spoke.

“This- It… feels…”

“Does it feel good?” Keith asked, watching Lance’s muscles as he tensed and relaxed from one instant to the next. He let a proprietary hand slide up Lance’s back, gliding through soap there. Lance shuddered under him.

“Yes,” Lance whispered, turning his head to look at him. His eyes were dark with lust and Keith couldn’t stop himself from gulping.

He worked quicker, his breathing heavy now. Lance squirmed under him, panting. “Are you sure?” asked Keith again. Keith didn’t want to hurt Lance, not any more than he already had.

This time, Lance snapped at him. “Yes. Hurry up!”

Chuckling, Keith obliged him and slid a second finger in. He watched Lance’s hole stretch around both digits as Lance gasped. The prince’s head dropped down, his panting increasing in volume. Keith was careful as he pushed them in, licking his lips as Lance’s body tightened around him. Just his fingers inside of Lance had Keith yearning for more, wishing he could be inside him _now_ and thrust into him.

His thoughts made him pick up the pace, spreading his fingers. Lance made a sound rather like ‘eek!’ as he was stretched further. Keith almost stopped but Lance seemed to sense that and reached around to grab hold of Keith’s wrist. That made Keith jolt inside of Lance and he cried out - it was a sound of pleasure more than pain so Keith obliged him and continued to spread his fingers within him, opening Lance’s hole. He could see it beginning to gape and Keith groaned at the sight, forcing himself to wait, wait, wait until, finally, he could press in with another finger.

That had Lance making a happy noise - though it could have been surprise. Keith didn’t know but he only paused for a mere moment before pressing onwards with his preparations. He kept thrusting in and out of Lance, spreading his fingers every so often. Once he deemed Lance’s hole wide enough, he abandoned that in favour of searching within Lance. He seemed confused for a second, turning his head to frown at Keith. Then his eyes widened and he cried out as Keith’s fingers found the spot he was looking for. Lance’s arms wobbled as he struggled to keep himself upright, his legs spreading wider as he wordlessly begged for more. So Keith gave him what he desired and pressed against it again before he removed his fingers.

As Keith spread oil over his cock, Lance let his body crumple until he had his arms pillowing his head. He was breathing hard and, while Keith eyed him, his chest heaving, Lance’s hips jerked forward. Keith was sure he was rutting against the bath’s side and he growled in approval, wanting nothing more than to fuck him right then. But he forced himself to be patient and wait until his entire cock was covered in the oil.

“Well?” Lance said, peeking at Keith. “Get on with it.”

Keith stared at him. On the one hand, he desperately wanted to just fuck him like that, hard and deep. But… This was Lance’s first time and it might be the only time Keith had with him. He didn’t want to waste this chance. So he turned and sat back into the bath, hoping the water wouldn’t wash the oil away before he could get his dick in his prince. Once he was settled, he grabbed Lance around the hips and pulled him down onto his lap. Lance gasped as he landed, Keith’s cock rubbing against his ass.

“I want to see your face,” Keith told him. Before Lance could protest or clamber off him, Keith grabbed Lance’s ass and lifted him, spreading his cheeks. Once he was high enough, Keith carefully prodded his hole. Lance inhaled sharply but didn’t protest as Keith lowered him, pushing himself into Lance. Tight heat surrounded him and it took his breath away. It was a slow process - the sensations almost too much - and he made sure to stop several times to let Lance adjust, to let _himself_ adjust. On his part, Lance clung to him, his trim nails digging into Keith’s shoulders. Halfway in, Lance’s head fell forward, his forehead bumping into Keith’s as he panted.

“K-K- Faster,” he gasped.

“No,” Keith told him. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You-” Lance broke off when Keith lowered him a little further, a high-pitched noise escaping him. “What…?” He sounded a bit dazed so Keith paused entirely and leaned back to look at him.

“Are you all right?” Keith asked.

“No,” Lance snapped. “You’re going way too slow.”

“I-”

He didn’t get to finish. Lance bore down on him and Keith slipped inside, all the way to his base. As Lance settled completely on Keith’s lap, he cried out, clearly overwhelmed. Keith didn’t bother berating him; instead, he wrapped his arms around Lance and hugged him tight. They breathed together in the large room. The only other sound was the lapping of the water as it settled from Lance’s disturbance.

Finally, they had both calmed enough for Lance to lift his head from Keith’s shoulder. “Move,” he commanded.

“Lance,” said Keith, exasperated. “You’re going to get hurt if we go too fast.”

“We don’t-” Lance blew out a breath, looking frustrated. His face was more flushed than before and Keith could only admire his beauty. “I want to _feel_ you, so hurry up!”

Keith smiled at him and ran his hands up and down Lance’s side. “You will,” he promised. “But I won’t hurt you.”

Eyes wide, Lance ducked his head. Keith chuckled at Lance’s embarrassment and Lance squirmed, making Keith wince. If Lance kept that up, he would come before they’d started. Thankfully, he settled and Keith took the chance to tilt Lance’s chin up. Lance’s pretty eyes darted between Keith’s, almost as if he was searching for something, an answer for why Keith was being gentle. Keith didn’t give him one. He slid his hand around the back of Lance’s head instead, pulling him down till their lips met in a gentle, chaste kiss. Lance whimpered against him as they breathed the same air and Keith surged upwards again, tilting his head just so and licking his way into Lance’s mouth in a heated kiss.

With Lance’s hands grasping at his shoulders and his moans muffled by Keith’s mouth, he couldn’t sit still for long. Keeping them shallow, Keith began to thrust up into Lance. The adorable, surprised noise that he made had Keith’s heart skipping a beat. Lance was so lovely that Keith wanted this moment to stretch on forever, for them both to be locked away in this bath until long after Honerva and Lotor were out of the picture.

Then Lance began to move with him, driving Keith deeper. A groan escaped him and that only encouraged Lance who began to move faster, pulling off further before dropping down. They kissed each other through it, panting against each other’s mouth. Lance’s hand moved until he had his fingers tangled in Keith’s hair. He had pulled it before in a demonstration of how he was in control of his slave and, just like it had then, it sent a bolt of pleasure throughout Keith’s body. Unable to help himself, Keith did one sharp, hard thrust into Lance. That made Lance break away from him and cry out, loud and echoing.

“Ah, ah, please!” Lance exclaimed.

“Please what?” Keith panted, his ears quivering and his body trembling in his effort to keep still.

“That. Hard. _Please_!” gasped Lance, moving himself in order to chase his pleasure.

Unable to stop himself, a sound between a groan and a purr escaped Keith. “Are you sure?” he asked, making a short thrust. It wasn’t as hard as before and Lance squirmed as he tried to roll his hips and drag Keith deeper.

“ _Yes_!” Lance hissed, moving again.

“Fine. You asked for it,” said Keith and did as he was bid. Bracing himself on the ledge, Keith began to thrust harder and harder, listening to Lance cry out and whine and gasp. His hands slid around Lance’s body until he was grasping Lance’s ass, squeezing it tightly. Lance shifted back into his grip, meeting every thrust as he held onto Keith.

Heat spread through Keith’s body as Lance’s face became completely red. His marks stood out all the more and Keith eyed them, wanting to make a move on them. But, before he could, Lance’s hand ran through his hair and found his ear. Keith stilled, gasping as his fingers brushed against them. He’d barely regained his breath when Lance grew bold and grabbed hold of them, rubbing and petting them, his fingers deftly working as he moved on Keith’s cock. Keith shuddered and groaned, letting his head fall forward until Lance was stroking him as one would an animal.

In that moment, Keith felt very much like a pet - and he loved it.

“Move,” Lance ordered, rolling his hips against Keith’s.

“Yes,” Keith agreed, thrusting into Lance again.

“Your cock,” Lance added. “I can feel it. I can feel it twitching. Do you… Do you like… this?” And he rubbed at Keith’s ear, a little rougher than he had before.

Gasping, Keith thrust a little harder, once, before stilling. He could feel the pressure building within him, could feel it curling tight. For a moment, he got his breath back. Then he nuzzled into Lance’s neck. “Yes,” he murmured.

“Fuck me, then,” Lance murmured and started to stroke and rub at Keith’s ears.

Warmth flooded Keith’s face as he tried to keep himself under control. It didn’t work as he began to thrust into Lance with abandon. His foot slipped as he thrust up hard and it changed the angle he drove into Lance. Fortunately, this was a good thing as he seemed to have hit Lance’s sweet spot; Lance cried out, his hands dropping to Keith’s shoulders to dig his nails in. With how turned on he was, Keith couldn’t stop himself from continuing his movements, not letting Lance recover.

After several thrusts, where Lance made a variety of loud noises and aborted attempts as his name, Lance ducked down to kiss Keith soundly. They moaned into it, Keith’s thrusts getting faster. He knew he was close and Lance’s cock was caught between them, heavy and leaking against Keith’s stomach. Their kiss turned more heated as their senses narrowed down. Messy kissing and groaning combined with slapping skin. The water around them shifted, slapping against the sides of the bath. Lance’s little noises had Keith’s heart pounding.

Suddenly, Lance bit on Keith’s bottom lip and Keith pulled away. Lance didn’t let go and they both enjoyed the view of Keith’s lip being dragged out before Lance let it go. They stared at each other with lidded eyes. Keith wanted to see Lance’s face as he came. It was already very red but his eyes… His eyes were just as beautiful as ever, even though they were much, much darker. Unable to look away, Keith thrust in harder, delighted to see Lance’s eyes widen slightly and water from the pleasure. A stray tear slipped down Lance’s cheek and over the mark beneath.

The sight pushed Keith closer to the edge. He let loose a moan that echoed around them: Lance gasped in response. Or perhaps it was in response to the way Keith fucked up into him in a harsh thrust. Either way, Lance’s mouth fell open as Keith continued his movements, his eyes fluttering as he grew closer and closer to being overwhelmed. Pleased, Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist, hugging him closer. A smile curled across Lance’s face and the sight made Keith give in to his impulses: he leaned forward and licked at Lance’s mark, lapping up the tear that rolled down it.

Lance shuddered and clenched around Keith momentarily. He dug his sharp nails into the small of Lance’s back as he tried to hold off his orgasm. Lance’s back arched, though he hung onto Keith’s shoulders, his lidded eyes locked on Keith’s. “I… I… So close. Please!”

Not really knowing what Lance was asking, Keith thrust up as hard as he could, aiming for that particular spot. As soon as he had, Lance came over their chests, clenching tight around Keith who kept going. His mouth hung open as he panted, watching Lance’s face scrunch up. It was adorable and sexy and it had Keith closer than before. Thrusts erratic, Keith knew he only needed a little more. Something, anything, to tip him over the edge.

Breathing heavily, Lance tipped his head forward to rest against Keith’s. He shuddered as Keith kept going, frantic. Then, he spoke. Nothing more than a whisper but it still set everything in Keith alight.

“Keith,” Lance murmured and Keith came with a gasping cry.

A happy, warm feeling spread through Keith as he floated in bliss. Eventually, he came back to himself and realised that he was still buried within Lance. In fact, Lance had his arms wrapped around Keith’s shoulders, his head tilted against his head. The prince’s panting breaths were loud in Keith’s ear, though his thundering heartbeat almost drowned it out. Keith smiled to himself and shifted, letting himself slip out of Lance. He heard the muffled whimper and couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Lance, holding him close.

After all they’d been through, Keith didn’t want to ever let him go.

Except, almost as soon as he’d hugged Lance close, the prince pulled away. Keith blinked and pursed his lips, displeased. “Where are you going?” he demanded.

“Nowhere in particular,” Lance admitted. Sure enough, he rearranged his legs so that they stretched out on either side of Keith and made himself comfortable in his lap.

“Ah,” said Keith.

“Though,” Lance continued with the beginnings of a smirk, “I need to bathe again.” Almost teasingly, he ran a finger down his chest, through his own cum, while keeping his eyes on Keith. It took his breath away and he forgot the world in favour of the man in front of him.

“Lance,” he said, awed. “I…” Keith fumbled for the words but something in his face must have told Lance what he wanted to say and, by then, it was too late.

Without warning, Lance pushed a hand in his face. “No,” he said, shortly. “Don’t.” His face had fallen and, before Keith could question him, Lance scrambled backwards and slid off the ledge.

“Wait!” Keith exclaimed. “Where are you going? I have to tell you-”

“No!” Lance snapped. “You can’t!” When he glanced at Keith, Lance’s expression was a mixture of anger, pain… and fear? Keith’s eyes widened. What was going on?

“Please, Lance,” Keith said, trying to follow him.

“Don’t come closer!” exclaimed Lance. Keith stilled and watched him, his arms raised as he tried to reach for him. He was too far and Lance wrapped his own arms around himself instead. “You can’t… come closer…”

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t need to concern yours-”

“ _Lance_ ,” Keith said, forcefully cutting off his rejection. “I’ve helped you with everything you’ve asked of me. You owe me this much.”

Silence fell between them. It was only broken by the quiet lap of water as the surface settled once again. When it completely stilled again, Keith thought that Lance wasn’t going to answer. But, eventually, he did. “I have heard rumours, as has Romelle and Hunk. Pidge as well.” Lance turned back to him and Keith’s mouth parted in surprise: he looked so tired and defeated in that moment, scared and pained. He wanted nothing more than to spirit Lance away somewhere and keep him safe. And, if he hadn’t promised to help Lance claim his throne, he would have done just that.

“Rumours?” Keith asked, lips barely moving.

“I am to be sent to the border to make the checks I have avoided doing for years. There is plenty of land and bandits and people to blame… if I were to die.”

“No-”

“That is what is going to happen,” Lance said, dismissing what Keith had been about to say with a wave of his hand. “In two days, I leave. I will, of course, have part of an army with me. But I have no doubt that I will be killed on the journey.” He finally met Keith’s eyes: Lance’s gaze was determined and full of fire. There would be no changing his mind. “You _cannot_ think of me as anything more than your master. You are my slave. I _used you_ for sex. Nothing more. I didn’t want to die a virgin.”

“That-”

“You are going to hurt yourself,” Lance whispered.

An ache bloomed in Keith’s chest when he realised what Lance was doing. He wanted to shake his head, deny that Lance would die, promise his safety. But he could see that Lance wouldn’t let himself fall in love with Keith and that he’d hold Keith at arm’s length if Keith admitted how he felt about Lance. In short, Keith was losing Lance before he’d even gained him and it hurt more than Keith had ever thought possible. It was hard to breathe and even harder when Lance turned from him to wade through the bath.

“Wait,” Keith said, splashing his way after him. “Let me go with you. Don’t leave me here when I could protect you.”

Lance scoffed. “Of course I won’t leave you behind,” he said as he used the stairs to rise elegantly out of the bath. Keith watched him wobble once he was out but he disguised it well as he made his way to the towels. “I’m not letting Honerva get her claws into you. I expect we will leave in two days. Be ready.”

“Thank you,” Keith said, sighing in relief.

A glance was his only acknowledgement that he’d spoken. Lance ignored him as he dried off, dressed and, with no other word, left. Keith watched him the whole while, unable to keep his eyes off the beautiful Altean and wondering just how he was going to keep this prince - _his_ prince - safe.

Because he was not, under any circumstances, going to let Lance be hurt when he could save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things to know about this chapter:  
> 1) Whenever Lance says "Kee-Keetarlk" he's actually correcting himself from saying "Keith."  
> 2) When Lance mentioned that he's thought of Keith, he meant that he'd sometimes wished that Keith would whisk him away in the middle of the night and save him. (And sometimes, when he was very down, he would imagine Keith _forgetting_ ... ;) )
> 
> Some things to know about this AU in general as I don't really know how things would go after this (and I have too many things to write, anyhow):  
> 1) Hunk is an Altean and a nobleman. Pidge is a Galra and happens to be his pet. (This is after a series of events which goes like this: Matt was at the border with Shiro and she went to meet him. She and whoever else she was travelling with were attacked and captured by slavers. They took them to Altea and Pidge was given to Lance. Which was fine until Honerva started poking around. To save Pidge, Veronica hired people to make an assassination attempt on Lance so that Hunk could save his life and Lance could offer him Pidge as a thank you, since Hunk is the only one he would trust with Pidge.  
> 2) Did I mention that Veronica has been guarding Lance since he was a baby? Cause she has.  
> 3) Adam is also Altean and Shiro has met him a few times and is definitely in love with him but they don't meet very often... until Lance gets Adam in his army and they go off to the border.  
> 4) I don't know what would happen but I know Lance would be elegant and badass with his archery and Keith would wax poetic at Shiro later. Or something.


End file.
